Militants 'pardon' officials

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, SEPT. 3. In a rare incident, a group of 35 heavily- armed militants today publicly ``pardoned'' the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Anantnag, the Station House Officer, Dooru, and five policemen. The militants spared them but left with four rifles and a pistol the policemen were carrying.

Reports reaching here said that ADC Anantnag, Mr. Thakur, accompanied by the Chief Medical Officer and the SHO, Dooru, Mr. Ghulam Haider Khan, visited Batagund village to take stock of the situation after an epidemic there. The SHO, reports said, was detailed for the protection of Mr. Thakur, who is also the officiating Deputy Commissioner.

Some 150 villagers were interacting with the officials when 35 heavily-armed militants appeared and asked the policemen to lay down their arms. The SHO tried to take on the militants, but the ADC asked him not to open fire in view of the large number of people around them.

After police ``surrendered'', the militants asked them to fall in line with the intention of shooting them. However, the women in the crowd cried ``raham, raham'' (mercy, mercy). They told the militants that the officials had come to the village to listen to their problems and hence did not deserve to die.

The plea had its effect and the militants publicly ``pardoned'' the ADC, the SHO and the others, and left the place with four AK rifles and a pistol. Reports said that the personal security officer (PSO) of the ADC fled the spot on seeing the militants. When contacted the SSP, Anantnag, Mr. Munir Khan, said that a FIR had been registered and that investigations had begun. The policemen and the ADC's PSO had been placed under suspension.

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